


Ranma x2

by sargondorsai



Category: Ranma 1/2
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 15:10:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7762648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sargondorsai/pseuds/sargondorsai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ranma seems to be having multiple personality. It's as if there are two different Ranma's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A resounding crash filled the air and Kasumi could only sigh. Seems Akane had sent her wayward fiancée sailing over the horizon again. Shaking her head in exasperation, she continued preparing dinner and put a kettle on the burner, knowing that by the time Ranma returned he would have need of the hot water. How Akane could aim for a body of water at that distance, she wasn't sure, but Kasumi wasn't one to question to strangeness that was Nerima, only learned to accept it.

Gazing out the window at the slowly setting sun, Kasumi pondered over the activities of the past few weeks. Ever since the destroyed wedding, Akane's anger seemed to escalate, soaring out of control to the point that she woke Ranma up with her mallet and sent him to bed the same way. Everything that went wrong with her life instantly became Ranma's fault and the girl would take her anger out on the boy at every opportunity. At least Ranma had improved his abilities enough that he could avoid breaking through the roof and walls with his impromptu flights. Somehow he always sailed through the open windows or doors. Then Akane would scowl and go to the dojo and start yelling. There were no bricks anymore as Nabiki told Akane that the budget would no longer support the constant destruction. Akane glared at her older sister for a moment, then hit Ranma the moment he entered the room, embedding him in the floor. As soon as Akane left the room, Ranma picked himself out of the hole and bounded across the rooftops into the distance. That was last week.

This past week, Ranma seemed to spend almost no time at home. He woke up early, before his father could throw him out the window, then head to the dojo to practice. Kasumi would watch him as she started getting the house ready for the day, glancing through the doors of the dojo as Ranma flowed from kata to kata. After breakfast or sometimes during, Akane would mallet Ranma out of the house. Ranma would even have kept his mouth closed the entire meal and Akane would still hit him. He'd then go to school, not speaking to anyone, avoiding his friends and barely talking to anyone other than the teachers. Ms. Hinako had even called the household to discuss Ranma's behavior with Kasumi.

The quiet strains of a violin broke Kasumi from her thoughts, drawing her attention to the window where the notes of music drifted into the kitchen on a gentle breeze. Who could that be? It sounded like it was coming from the roof. Putting down the food she slowly made her way to the back door and looked up to the roof. A shadowed figure was perched upon the peak of the roof, the small form of a violin held in his hands, the sweet music emanating from them both. She paused to listen, her eyes slowly drifting closed as the music swirled around her.

A soft whimper spilled past her lips as the music stilled, leaving a sense of longing for the peace the simple song brought to her soul, something so absent amongst the chaos of Nerima. As Kasumi opened her eyes, she cast them back towards the rooftops, looking for the source of the soulful music. When she caught the sight of the man on the roof when he stepped from the shadows, her heart nearly stopped. Ranma? But how could that be? He was just malleted to the stratosphere and shouldn't be back for at least another half hour.

With an easy leap, Ranma left his place on the roof and landed lightly beside Kasumi, the violin vanishing from sight. His baritone voice was as full of mischief as his smile. "Hello Kasumi. It's been a long time."

Kasumi finally got a good look at the boy and wondered what had happened. This wasn't the same Ranma who was here this morning. For one, this Ranma was much taller, easily six feet in height and his body had filled out from the lithe form of the pigtailed martial artist. And that was another change. Gone was the pigtail and in its place was a long ponytail that swept over his shoulder down to the middle of his back, the long silken threads bound by a rope of silver that was woven into the hair.

Ranma's words finally registered. "Oh my. What do you mean, Ranma? I just saw you this morning during breakfast and I know I was going to see you at dinner, which I really need to check on." She looked from him to her kitchen then back again, struggling between looking for answers to her questions and preparing the meal for her beloved family.

The pony-tailed boy, no, man, smiled in reply. "Let's just say that I'm not quite the Ranma you know anymore and leave it at that, alright?" He beamed a winning smile at her and Kasumi felt her heart flutter slightly. Wow, Ranma had never had this effect on her before. Sure she'd noticed him during his katas but never had she found herself attracted to him as anything more than a loving younger brother. She mechanically followed him inside towards the kitchen, where he silently began helping her prepare dinner. She tried to protest but he would just smile and turn her back to her work and continue on whatever he was working on.

It was at that moment that Akane decided to join Kasumi in the kitchen to 'help' with dinner. As soon as she spotted Ranma her rage exploded. "What are you doing with my sister, you pervert!" With a cry of rage, she leaped across the kitchen, mallet swinging unerringly for Ranma's head. For his part, Ranma just watched the incoming mallet than caught it in one hand, stopping the weapon completely with only the slightest tremor of his arm. Akane however couldn't stop her own momentum and crashed into the head of her own mallet, dazing her but not quite knocking her out. After throwing the mallet out the open window, Ranma went back helping make dinner.

When Akane recovered from her daze, she glared murderous daggers at Ranma back and immediately lunged for him. He spun in place, catching arm and swinging it up behind her back in a simple hold, easily immobilizing the irate girl. "What do you think you're doing Akane? Can't you see I'm cooking with Kasumi? Why don't you go out to the dojo and practice?" With those words he pushed her towards the door before releasing her.

"Why should I leave? So you can continue taking advantage of my sister while I'm away? As a martial artist it's my duty to protect Kasumi from a pervert like you."

Ranma couldn't help himself and busted out laughing, holding his side as the rich laughter filled the room, stunning both the oldest and youngest Tendos. It stunned Akane enough that she cut off her tirade. When Ranma could finally control his laughter, he just looked at Akane, still stifling a few chuckles. "You? A martial artist? Since when? When was the last time you practiced the art? Breaking bricks doesn't count. Who was the last person you protected and why? Anyone? Oh wait, you're always protecting your sisters from me, is that it? Lets think about this. If I really wanted to do something to your sisters, do you really think you could stop me? I'm the one protecting this family, not you, little miss princess. All you do is break your bricks and whine when you don't get your way, or blame me."

Akane blinked as she nearly wilted under the onslaught, then her rage came back in force. How DARE he question her status as a martial artist? How DARE he say those things? That pervert was going to get what was coming to him. She charged him again, conveniently forgetting the uselessness of her previous two attacks. She was stopped in mid charge by a rock hard fist implanting itself in her gut.

Ranma's eyes smoldered in a barely contained rage, battle aura flickering along his skin, a faint blue tinged with red. "You say you're a martial artist, so be it. I'll treat you like one. Which means when you attack me, I'll stop you. When you attack an innocent, I'll stop you. If you keep pressing, I'll stop you harder."

Akane staggered back from the fist, clutching her stomach and glaring at Ranma. Tears in her eyes, she turned around and fled the kitchen, running up the stairs to her room and slamming the door.

Kasumi watched the entire scene play out and wondered who was this man who had taken the place of the Ranma she had come to know over the past year. She was about to ask him when she felt his finger across her lips, silencing her. She looked up into the deep blue eyes of Ranma and say him slowly shake his head. "I know you have questions, but I can't really answer them right now. Come outside after dinner and I'll explain everything. I have to go now. I'll be back for dinner, but don't worry if I act a little differently during the meal. Just trust me and meet me outside."

With those final words he seems to shimmer and vanish. Kasumi watched him for a moment and wondered what the future would bring. What happened to Ranma to make him change like that. Turning back to the kitchen, she focused on completing the final preparations for dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of the gate bell caught Kasumi's attention and she turned from putting the finishing touches on dinner, peeking through the door of the kitchen to glance at the entry wall. A slightly disheveled Ranma was putting his shoes away and Kasumi watched him for a moment, frozen in place. Gone were the changes of only moments before, returning him to the boy she had known this morning. So many questions flashed through her mind but she remembered her promise to Ranma, maybe not this Ranma, but a Ranma nonetheless. She couldn't help but watch him, noticing the difference between the two, those obvious physically changes and the ones that weren't so obvious, like the way each carried themselves. This Ranma seemed to glide from motion to motion as if dancing, each motion an extravagance as if he needed to show off his skill to any who cared to search for it. Her Ranma, on the other hand, had a fluid economy of motion, nothing wasted as he went about his actions.

"Hey Kasumi, dinner smells wonderful. Just let me get washed up and I'll be right there to help you get setup." With those words, he bound up the stairs and disappeared into the bathroom. Kasumi watched him vanish and pursed her lips in through as she returned to the kitchen. It wasn't a moment later when Ranma joined her, a slight smile on his lips, no doubt from the prospect of eating her food. He was quiet though and Kasumi wanted to frown. Nothing seemed to have changed from this morning. Ranma was still the same, resigned to his fate and not wanting to do anything to draw the attention of Mount Akane. Not that it would do him any good.

Nabiki made her way to the table and strangely silent pair of Martial Arts practitioners known as Soun and Genma joined the group for dinner. Kasumi called up to Akane that dinner was ready and the response was immediate, though slightly (very slightly) muffled by the closed door. "I'm not having dinner with that pervert!" Kasumi sighed and began serving dinner, beginning with Ranma, then her Father, then Nabiki and finally herself. Genma was left to survive on his own, as had become customary for the family meals. As was also customary, Ranma kept his mouth closed, even with the absence of a mallet happy Akane.

The moment dinner was over, Ranma flashed Kasumi a smile, put his dishes away in the sink and with a quick bound, was out the back door and vanishing into the distance. Kasumi headed into the backyard to watch the swiftly shrinking form of the pigtailed warrior and sighed in frustration. So much for her answers. Turning back to the house, she noticed someone on the roof also interested in Ranma's departure. Her breath caught in her chest as realized it was Ranma. Her Ranma. A faint blush stained her cheeks at the unbidden though, then rose to a rich scarlet as the ponytailed man leaped from the rooftop to land lightly next to her, flashing a winning smile.

"Hello again, Kasumi. I said I'd answer your questions after dinner. If I'm any judge of my old self, I'd say your cooking was spectacular as always. Wish I could have enjoyed it but I don't think the family is ready yet for me. And I'm sure you're still having a hard to understanding what is going on as well." That same confident smile adorned his lips as Ranma made his way into the house, drawing a still blushing Kasumi behind him.

A myriad of thoughts flashed through her mind but one question rose to the forefront, demanding answers before all other questions could be considered. "How? How are there two of you? What happened to you? Are you from the future? A mirror world?" That there were two Ranma's wasn't what surprised Kasumi. It actually hardly even registered as out of the ordinary in a life as Chaotic as Ranma's. Instead, she was looking for more information, trying to learn more about the man that seemed so different from her friend.

She gave a start as Ranma began working on the dishes with the same quiet efficiency that had blessed his movements when he was helping make dinner. There was none of the normal showing off that had become a staple of life for the pigtailed martial artist. Instead, there was a calm power, a smooth flow of energy that seemed to encompass the room as he swiftly cleaned the dishes and placed them gently in the rack to dry. In the two minutes it took Kasumi to recover from the mild shock, the dishes were done and Ranma was drying his hands on a towel, smiling at Kasumi and motioning her to follow him out the door.

"Let's head up to the roof. No one should interrupt us there." Before she could move to go get the ladder, Kasumi felt strong arms wrap around her waist and a brief sense of flight, the caress of a breeze then suddenly a solid roof underneath her slippers. A blush dusted her cheeks, whether from the close way she'd been held, or from the sense of lose when those arms released her, even she didn't know. Turning around, she considered the new Ranma and wondered just what sort of adventure he had been on.

Ranma smiled at her, his deep sapphire eyes sparkling in a mixture of amusement and a faint hint of adoration. A soft breeze ruffled his long hair and for a moment, he was the picture of the romance novel gentleman, prepared to sweep his lovely maiden off her feet and carry them both away, dashing to the horizon, away from their old lives, to make a new one together. Her blush deepened as her thoughts ran away with her. A chuckle brought her crashing back to reality and she frowned slightly at the mirth filled man in front of her. "And just what do you think is so amusing?"

For his part, Ranma just smiled. "You daydreaming. It's a little different than I remember. I was just chuckling at myself for thinking that I knew everything. That famous Saotome overconfidence roaring to the forefront." Another chuckle escaped him before he got a hold of himself. "Anyway, I promised you some explanations, didn't I? This may take a little while so I'll ask you to give me a chance to finish before asking questions. I know you'll have some by the time I get done telling you what happened. It took me awhile to come to terms with it myself, and I lived there after all.

"Where to begin… well, I suppose the beginning is as good a place as any. Remember yesterday when the other Ranma was struck by lightning? Well, that bolt split us in half, completely. Though we each retained the memories and abilities of the other, you'll notice that this Ranma is a little weaker than he was before the accident. But I digress. I found myself in another world, one filled with magic and creatures beyond imagination. It was like something out of a strange comic and I was thrust into that world with only half the power I was used to having…" His voice trailed off at a particular memory before resuming.

"I had to learn to survive and for those first few days, I wandered alone, lost in a forest that never seemed to end. There were monsters and demons and… well, suffice it to say the place wasn't nice. Fun, but not nice. If it hadn't been for Saffron and what I did to him, maybe… no, I definitely wouldn't have been able to survive. That's another story and maybe I'll tell you about it sometime." He flashed her a smile and Kasumi felt her breath catch at the raw emotion flowing through that simple gesture.

"Eventually, I found myself in a village of people who took me in. By their standards I was already a man and a warrior. They were a simple people, a farming community and I spent many peaceful hours working in the fields along with everyone. But I never forgot about home and the people I'd left behind. It took me four years to figure out how to get home. But I did. And now I'm back where I belong, among those who I cannot imagine life without."

As Ranma's tale came to an end, he reached out and tenderly caressed Kasumi's cheek. The eldest Tendo felt her cheeks flush and turned her gaze downward, suddenly intent on the hands clasped together at her waist, wringing them together nervously. She resisted the urge to give into the comfortable feeling, and surrender herself into the arms of the only person to ever show her affection.

A sound drifted up from within the house. Well, more roared from the kitchen. "Kasumi, you okay? I'll save you!" Kasumi turned to see a ladder smack into the side of the house, denting some of the tile. The short blue hair of the youngest Tendo popped into view, swiveling around as if seeking the sight of some intruder. The scowl on her face could have peeled paint from the wall. "Kasumi? You alright? I heard someone up here and came to make sure no perverts took advantage of you."

Kasumi blushed as her thoughts had been traveling along the lines of having Ranma do the things Akane was accusing him of doing. Shaking her head sadly, she turned to apologize to her pony-tailed companion only to find him gone. A soft Oh My escaped her lips and she walked by a silently fuming wannabe martial artists. "Don't worry Akane, I'm perfectly fine taking care of myself." With those words she headed down the ladder and up to her room. She had some definitely thinking to do.


	3. Chapter 3

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The gentle, repetitive sound broke through the fog of sleep hazing around Kasumi's mind. Blinking slowly awake, she turned her gaze around her room, seeking the source of the disturbance. Her gaze was drawn to the window, where the light of false dawn peeked through her curtains, along with the upside down smiling face of a pigtailed martial artist. The young face of Ranma.

Kasumi's smile faltered slightly as she realized it wasn't the man from her dreams, though the blush staining her cheeks crimson caused that same smile to return. Reaching beside her bed, she retrieved her robe, pulling it on as she made her way to the window. Throwing aside the curtains and opening the window, she allowed the boy into her room. He'd only been in here once before, immediately after returning from China, to talk about what had happened with Saffron. It had been one of the hardest times in his life and he had talked with the only person he could trust with his feelings. That he was here again…

Ranma for his part swung into the room only to stand nervously just inside the window. Kasumi watched him, noting the subtle and not so subtle differences between the two. She could see the details and attributes that would mature into the older Ranma. Head tilted slightly to the side, she waited for him to speak.

"Um… I'm not sure what to say." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Ever since last night, after Akane malleted me across town. I've felt weaker than normal, as if a lot of my strength has been taken away. I thought it was just sick or maybe having something to do with getting struck by lightning, but it didn't go away and now… I don't want anyone else to know. They'll try and take advantage of me like this. But I wanted you to know, in case… You know, in case something happens where you might need me."

Kasumi nodded in understanding. With the amount of chaos that normally surrounded Ranma, there was no telling what might follow him. From the numerous Fiancées and violent rivals, to the random martial arts challengers that continually knocked on the door of the Tendo Dojo. Her Ranma had said that they were at half strength, though what that meant in comparison to the rest of the Nerima Wrecking Crew, she wasn't certain. Looking at him standing there, worried for the safety of the family, she debated on telling him about the other Ranma, about what he had said, then mentally shook her head. That wasn't her secret to tell. Maybe her Ranma would be able to figure something out.

Smiling, Kasumi reached over and ruffled his hair. "Don't worry, little brother. I know you'll do fine. As you've always told me, Ranma Saotome never loses." Those appeared to be the right words as his smile returned full force and he sheepishly straightened his hair before hopping to the window sill. "You know Kasumi, you're right. Everything will work out. I just need to train harder. I had thought that my regimen was good enough already, but I guess I'll just have to step it up a notch. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a panda to wake up." He leapt from the window and disappeared from sight. A moment later, a panda projectile plummeted through the air, impacting the ground just beside the koi pond. With that beginning, the Saotome morning spar got underway.

Kasumi got herself ready for the day then headed downstairs, humming quietly to herself as she began preparing breakfast, the sound of violence serving as the cheery background to the serenity of cooking. Time seemed to fly by as she finished getting the meal prepared. A kettle of hot water sat on the stove, waiting for the arrival of the victorious Ranma, who staggered into the kitchen looking slightly less than stellar, water dripping from her matted bangs, muttered about stupid pandas and cheap tactics. Kasumi chuckled and upended the kettle over Ranma's head, to the relieved sigh of the boy turned girl turned boy.

Breakfast was a somber affair. Genma was still knocked out, floating face up in the koi pond. Soun Tendo continued to cast worried glances out the back door at his unconscious friend, then back to his newspaper, studiously ignoring the murderous stares that his youngest daughter was casting at the younger Saotome. Ranma ate in silence, maintaining a semblance of normalcy by eating like a human rather than a vacuum. When Nabiki questioned him on it, he shrugged and pointed towards the inert panda. "He aint around to steal my food."

Akane growled at Ranma. "Stop flirting with my sister you pervert!" He just looked at her then turned back to his food, not even bothering to reply. The wannabe martial artist ground her teeth in frustration, fingers tightening on her chopsticks until they snapped in her hands. Frowning down at the broken pieces of wood in her hand, she then turned her focus on the pigtailed boy, as if blaming him for breaking the chopsticks. Ranma sensed the impending doom, switched to the hoover maneuver to finish his food, thanked Kasumi, and dashed up the stairs, his dishes somehow ending up in the sink, though no one had seen him move. A rush of air and the sound of the door closing were the only evidence of Ranma's leaving for school.

For a moment no one reacted other than to blink in confusion. Then Akane slammed down her plate, nearly shattering it and stomped up to her room to finish getting ready for school. Nabiki sighed and looked at the remains of her breakfast, mentally tallying the cost of the broke dish. While it may not have burst to pieces under Akane's ministrations, it did crack would easily break under the slightest pressure. Sighing again, she went about finishing her breakfast so she could get ready for school. Things wouldn't go well if she wasn't there to do damage control. After thanking Kasumi for the food, she too went back upstairs to finish getting ready.

Kasumi looked down at the remains of breakfast and began gathering the dishes, ignoring the crying form of her father wailing about the schools not being joined. At least Uncle Genma was still asleep. She was silently thankful for that as she turned to the kitchen to do the dishes. The sound of the door opening drew her attention to the front door just in time to see Akane make her way to school. Shaking her head, Kasumi went back to doing the dishes.

Drifting through the windows, the quiet strains of a familiar flute teased her senses, bringing a smile to her lips. She hummed quietly in accompaniment, surprised she knew the tune though she couldn't recognize the time. It was as if she knew it at some other level than conscious, almost an emotional connection that she didn't quite understand.

Nabiki dashed down the stairs on her way to school when she paused at the foot of the stairs as she heard her sister humming. Peeking into the kitchen, she tilted her head to the side, wondering what had her sister in such a good mood, especially with the events of breakfast. Shrugging it off, she just attributed it to just another evidence of Kasumi living in her own little world.

The rest of the morning went well, Kasumi going about her daily chores to the gentle accompaniment of the hidden flute. Genma awoke about an hour after breakfast ended and tried to get into the kitchen for breakfast, only to be quietly and effectively barred from entry by a smiling Kasumi, who said the man would have to wait until lunch if he wanted to eat, or he could go out with her father to get something. After another hour of playing Go with his stomach growling at him, the part time panda finally convinced his long time friend to go and get some food, producing money from places better left unexplained.

As the two men headed out the door, Kasumi just shook her head, then smiled as the beat of the music changed, as if laughing at the antics of their fathers. Shaking her head again, this time in amusement, she turned back to the now empty house and started the laundry.

The noon day sun shone down warmly on Kasumi as she hung out the laundry to dry, humming contently to herself. Time had flown by as she busied herself around the house and she felt more energized than ever before, as if nothing could bring her down from her good mood. She eeped as she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist from behind, suddenly sensing the familiar presence of her Ranma. Leaning into the embrace, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to luxuriate in the safety she felt within his tender care, knowing that those same arms that held her so gently could easily destroy anything placed before him. All that power, sheathed so close, firmly held in check. For her.

The sudden realization drew a gasp from her lips and the slight chuckle from behind her caused a blush to stain her cheeks a bright crimson. Ranma's rich voice purred in her ear, causing her blush to deepen. "Finally realized what my return means? I heard you like older men. Well, I'm older than you now."

Kasumi was wondering if her blush was ever going to fade and if Ranma kept talking the way he was, she doubted it ever would. Reluctantly, she pulled out of his embrace and turned to look at him. He was dressed in a simple blue silk shirt that hugged his body in a way that almost made her jealous and set her heart fluttering at the same time. His familiar black silk pants and unassuming slippers brought back a sense of familiarity and helped her cope with the myriad of feelings floating through her. "What are you trying to say, Ranma?" She knew, but wanted to hear the words from his lips, needed to hear them.

Slowly reaching up with a tender hand, Ranma caressed Kasumi's cheek, a soft smile on his lips. "Kasumi, I can't imagine my life without you. You've kept me sane amidst the chaos that swirls around me, helped me through some times when I had no one else to turn to. For over the past four years, you've been in my thoughts. I go to bed with you on my mind and wake from a dream of your smile. Kasumi Tendo, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife."

He knelt down before her, reaching into his shirt and pulling out a small black velvet box, holding it out to Kasumi before slowly opening it. Nested within the box was a finely crafted silver ring set with a shimmering crystal that shone with an inner light. The gem itself was carved to resemble a tiny orchid. Drawing the ring from the box, he slowly placed it on Kasumi's finger as she stood there speechless. Never before had she expected this moment to happen, Ranma placing a ring upon her finger and becoming her fiancé (well, except for a few dreams better kept to herself, if anyone found out… ) She didn't know what to say as she blushed down at the kneeling man before her.

"Yes" Her answer left her breathless and faint, but it was what she wanted to do. This Ranma, her Ranma, had finally found the courage to put aside all others and choose her, someone who wasn't even listed among the contending fiancées. However, she knew that there was no competition. Not with her Ranma. Leaning down, she kisses him on the forehead, then smiled impishly and leaned down further, prepared to give her first real kiss in years to her new fiancé.

Alas, it was not meant to be, as at that very moment, a rapidly moving object came hurtling through the air to impact the koi pond, sending a fountain of water high into the air, though it miraculously shot straight up so that the water ended up cascading back into the pond. An irate redhead dragged herself from the waters, wringing out her shirt, then stopped to stare at the other two occupants of the backyard. Kasumi she could understand but where had his older doppelganger come from. Ranma immediately settled into a defensive stance, trying to get a feel for the mirror double. If he was anything like the last double, there was going to some serious trouble in this fight.

She was broken from her considerations by Kasumi giggling and stepping between the two Ranma's. "Now now, I will not have you threatening my fiancé like that." The dripping wet female Ranma nearly fell over at those words, starring at Kasumi like she'd grown another head ( though with the craziness that is Nerima, would that really have garnered that much attention? ). Blinking a few times, she tried to process the information.

Kasumi smiling. Calling the man her Fiance. HUGE rock on her finger. Conclusion… Ranma smiled and relaxed, hoping closer to give her friend a huge hug. "Congratulations Kasumi, I'm happy for you, though I always thought it would be Doctor Tofu who would finally win your heart. Though I do have to wonder one thing…" She indicated the man in question. "Why does he look so much like and yet, not like me?"

Kasumi was at a loss for words, trying to explain the presence of another Ranma. She was saved from the explanation by her fiancé. Inwardly she purred at the title. HER Ranma.

"The reason I look like you is because I am you, in a way." The alternate Ranma explained about being split apart and living in another land for the past four years. It only took a few minutes as he glossed over the details. "And when I got back, all I wanted to do is see Kasumi. She was the only one I could see myself with for the rest of my life and I had four years to think about it before coming to that decision."

The younger Ranma could only gape in wonder at the tale. Is this what she would have chosen in four years? And if so, was she just going to let another copy of her take away the only person to ever show her kindness? Then again, didn't Kasumi deserve to be happy? She certainly seemed happy. So many conflicts racing through her mind. How was she going to deal with them all. Normally she'd talk to Kasumi but she wasn't exactly unbiased this time.

Rubbing the back of her neck nervously, she tried to summon a smile for her friend, "At least now I know why I feel the way I do. I was worried something had happened to me. Guess it did. Well, I don't know if I'm exactly comfortable with Kasumi marrying me, even if it isn't really me. I thought she deserved better which was why I never said anything about it. But maybe, I mean, you've got four years more experience than me. Maybe, just maybe, you'll be able to treat her right." She smiled sheepishly at her other self, who returned the smile with a grin of his own.

"Don't worry. I felt the exact same way. Once I knew what I really wanted, I made sure that I would be a man worthy of her, at least I hope so." The alternate Ranma pulled a sheepish look of his own, pulling his ponytail over his shoulder to run his fingers through the long raven strands. He smiled down over at Kasumi, who returned the smile. Reaching out, he wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her close.

"Aiyah! Too too many Ranma!"


	4. Chapter 4

There were few things that could frustrate Kasumi. Alien invasions she could handle. Rampaging martial artists were par for course. Constantly getting interrupted just before she got her kiss from her fiancé was one thing that she was not prepared to tolerate. The voice of the bubbly amazon was normally quite welcome around the dojo, as her visits always sparked some sort of excitement. However, it was just another form of distraction from what Kasumi thought of as her proper reward.

Turning in the warm embrace, Kasumi glanced over her shoulder to find the aforementioned amazon mounted on her bike, balanced easily on top of the estate wall. Clad in silken pants and a Chinese silk blouse, all in purple, with dragons of blue flying up her sides, the busty woman had a look of confusion on her normally smiling face. Her eyes seemed to dart between the male and female forms of Ranma. Sighing to herself softly, Kasumi prepared to welcome to the amazon and explain things when she felt her fiancé shift behind her. The arms wrapped around her waist stiffened for a moment to steel cables wrapped in velvety soft flesh before relaxing.

Tilting her head slightly, Kasumi caught the slight smile on her Ranma's lips out of the corner of her eye, his sparkling sapphire eyes seeming to shine with an inner light that had her heart fluttering. There was so much rich vitality in that gaze, one that spoke of complete control of all things. When he opened his mouth and spoke the next works in that husky baritone, she found herself fascinated by the strength of purpose behind each word.

"Really, Xian Pu, don't you think this is a little much? I know you've always enjoyed staring at Ranma, but you've got the wrong Ranma."

It was all Kasumi could do to avoid giggling as the amazon nearly fell of her bike in surprise at the statement. Those words were definitely not something Ranma would usually say. Only a few feet away, the younger Ranma looked pole-axed, caught between trying to deny the words and puffing up in pride because he'd always known that he was a good catch. After all, why else would all the women be chasing after him? Still, that was no reason to announce things like that.

Watching from her prized position within her Ranma's arms, Kasumi tried to read the various emotions racing across the amazons visage, noting with curiosity that most of the emotions seemed to be directed towards the younger incarnation. Pausing in her perusal to ponder, Kasumi realized that it actually made a lot of sense. The younger Ranma was the familiar face, the only sense of identity in the current situation.

Taking pity on the poor overwhelmed girl, Kasumi called out to her. "Xian Pu, I want you to come and meet a wonderful man." Nearly purring in delight, she snuggled against the broad chest of the man holding her so tightly before extracting herself from his embrace to present him to the confused amazon, who had leapt from the wall to alight only a few feet from the pair.

Standing lightly near the couple, Xian Pu allowed her eyes to feast upon the vision of masculinity before her. There had always been an awareness of the physical attraction she felt towards her husband. How could one not be drawn to his strength, the feline grace and power? Yet here was that power and grace,

refined, matured, until it was hard for her to control the instinct to latch onto the man and grind against his muscular body.

Pausing in front this new Ranma, Xian Pu leaned back slightly, gazing deep into those startling blue eyes, searching for something. Looking past the older Ranma, she considered her airen before returning her gaze to the feast before her. "Who is you?" Her singsong voice was filled with more questions than those three words could possibly convey.

Kasumi looked at Xian Pu and wondered how to reply. Here was Ranma but it wasn't Ranma. This was even more confusing with the presence of the current younger original. Just as she was opening her mouth to respond, she felt those deliciously strong arms wrapping around her again, distracting her for a moment as she gazed down to find Ranma's hand gently caressing. In that moment of hesitation, her Ranma stepped in with an answer.

"I'm a relative of Ranma. My name is Ranma. Confusing? I've always thought so. This is actually the first time I've had a chance to meet the other Ranma in the family." Pointing towards the younger female Ranma, the elder one chuckled slightly. "His father got the name for Ranma after I was born."

The perky amazon blinked in surprise at the sound of the voice, so much like the younger man that the resemblance was uncanny. Noting the way the elder man had his arms around too too nice girl Kasumi, she narrowed her eyes at him. "Why you holding nice girl like that?"

A rich chuckle answered the girl. "How else should a man hold his fiancée?"

There was only so many shocks that an amazon girl could take in the span of so short a time. Nodding slowly in a show of number understand, Xian Pu tried to banish the image of herself wrapped in those same powerful arms. Her gaze skipped past the male Ranma to the female form of her husband. Those once hard lines had been softened to the gracious curves of a bountiful womanhood and the amazon felt a different stirring within her at the lush sight before her eyes. Shaking herself from a stupor, she looked between the two Ranma's for a moment longer before bounding over to the younger girl, wrapping her arms around the startled girl.

Struggling to control her giggles at the look on poor Ranma's face, Kasumi decided to take pity on the poor boy. "Xian Pu dear, was there a purpose behind your visit today? Should I get out the tea?"

Xian Pu turned to face the nice girl Tendo and saw a smile on the girl, no, woman's face, a smile of genuine joy to replace the façade behind which she had hidden in all the time the amazon had known the young Japanese homemaker. It was easy to become lost in that smile, one of pure joy. Once again the amazon felt a pang of longing, one that she hoped would be filled by the girl in her arms, once that girl turned into a boy again.

Suddenly the Tendo woman's words registered in the amazon's mind and with a soft Aiyah she was away from Ranma and darting over the outer wall of the compound, clothes fluttered in the wind of her passage.

Kasumi and the Ranma's watched Xian Pu disappeared with a mixture of emotions. Kasumi had mostly gotten over her irritation at being interrupted, though she planned on collecting her due soon. The younger Ranma was mostly confused, pulling her pigtail over her shoulder and playing with the end as she studied the horizon, unconsciously tracking the ki signature of the perky amazon.

"Anyone wanna tell me what just happened?"

Turning to look at the young girl still wet from the koi pond, Kasumi pursed her lips in thought. The encounter was still playing through her mind. Short as it was, she hadn't had a chance to form an opinion on how the amazon felt about the situation. How would she react? Was she going to tell her Great Grandmother about what she had seen? Of course she was. Anything that concerned Ranma concerned the Amazons and they were never ones to take news about Ranma lightly. Whenever Ranma was involved, things had a tendency to blow out of control. Her Ranma saved Kasumi from having to put her thoughts to words.

"That, my dear boy, was the beginning of everything. You weren't going to be able to keep your state of being a secret for much longer. We've never been that lucky." There was a moment's pause as the two versions of the same man pondered back on some of the chaos they had been subjected to. The younger of the two suddenly wondered what type of life her older self has found in this other world and how much of it was going to come back and bite them in the ass.

Chuckling softly to himself, the Elder Ranma shook his head at the silent question he saw in those sapphire eyes. "We've got time yet. Xian Pu will still need to explain the situation to her great grandmother and with what I remember of Mu-Tsu, he should be heading here soon as he hears there are two of us, even before Ku Lohn has a chance to decide how she wants to handle things. I also don't think they'll be anyone coming after me from home either. At least not any time soon." Waving off the initial wave of questions, he cocked his head towards the door to the house. "Come on. Let's get inside so you can change and we can talk some more. It's been four years for me but only a couple of days for you. Let's see if we can't catch up on old times."

Kasumi found herself whisked inside in a flurry of Ranma's, deposited in the kitchen, watching as the kettle was settled on the stove, captivated by the sight of two Ranma's taking reign. How long had the boy been able to master the kitchen? What other skills had they been hiding from others, trying to fit into the martial arts jock front that he presented to everyone.

The two Ranma's flowed around each other with a sense of presence that went beyond conscious. Not a single word was exchanged as the moved through getting lunch prepared, food and utensils flowing around the room like a flawless kata, each move calculated with that same grace that permeated every attack. Vegetables, spices, meats, dishes, each part of the whirlwind of activity that had come to dominate every facet of the kitchen.

In what seemed to be no time at all, the kettle was whistling then sent sailing through the air by one Ranma only to be caught and upended over another, accompanied by the contented sigh of a boy turned girl turned boy again. Kasumi watched the two and wondered when they were going to talk.

Blinking for a moment, she concentrated on the smile she found on the younger Ranma's lips. So they had talked and in a way that she had never expected.

"Anything goes martial arts body language?" Even as she asked the question, Kasumi knew what the answer would be. By the way the smiles brightened with both Ranma's she knew all she needed. Walking over to her new fiancé, the eldest Tendo wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing against his broad back. "What did the two of your talk about?" The question was purred into his ear, her lips almost brushing against the sensitive skin. She could feel the hairs on the back of his neck lifting at her teasing and she nuzzled into his ponytail as she awaited her answer.

"We were trying to find a way to keep from confusing everyone." That came from the boy Ranma and it took Kasumi a few moments to figure out what he was talking but. Once she did she nodded in agreement. Trying to talk about Ranma and Ranma would have given anyone a headache and with how volatile the situation was already with the families, the last thing they needed to do was add stress to the powder keg.

"I'm going to go by the name of Raven." This time it was the elder of the two, her Ranma. "It's something people because of my hair and my martial arts style. Not a lot of black haired individuals in our village and some people thought it easier to give me a name than use my given name, especially since I didn't have a family name."

Lots of information. That little statement carried a wealth of knowledge of what her Ranma had gone through. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she allowed his warmth to soak into her, eyes closing as she waited for anything more they were going to add. When she was greeted with silence, she opened her eyes and turned to see those same sapphire eyes smiling aback at her.

"My Raven." She rolled the name around, tasting it, breathing it until she made it a part of her. All those years of dreaming and now that she had finally found herself a man that wasn't after her youngest sister and hadn't been brought there by her middle sister, and she planned to make up for lost time.

"I love it, Raven."


	5. Chapter 5

Kasumi watched the two Ranma’s, one younger and one former, as they went about cleaning up from lunch and their discussion. They had worked out a few details, key of which was how to tell the two apart. The self-identified Raven solved a lot of those issues by pointing out his outfit, which consisted of heavy, darker leathers rather than the normal silks that Ranma himself preferred. The subtle difference in their hairstyles would also help to tell them apart at a glance. Raven promised to keep his hair that way as well. He’d grown rather partial to the style over the years. 

The eldest Tendo daughter was in agreement with the growing partial to the style part of the discussion. Her fingers idly ran through the hair that fell over her shoulder from where Raven was leaning over her. The flash of silver caught her eye again as she played with the strands that had been woven around and through the ponytail. Lighting tugging on the ponytail, she drew his attention down to her, rubbing the silver strands between her fingers and giving him a pointed look.

A soft chuckle escaped from Raven as he pulled his ponytail out of her reach, ignoring the slight pout she gave him. “It was a gift, dear, from a teacher to which I owe a great deal. She taught me much about the world I had found myself in and without her I would have never been able to survive there.”

Something small within Kasumi tugged at her heart for a moment before she ruthlessly squashed it. Learning about four years of being in another world would take time. Time that they had. Glancing down at the ring on her hand, she smiled gently. The rest of their lives to learn everything about each other.

A small giggle escaped the unwilling homemaker. “Well, I’ll have to remember to thank her then should we ever get the chance to meet.” Kasumi offered her new fiancé a smile before leaning up to press her forehead to his. Just as their heads were tilting closer, a soft cough came from the slightly embarrassed young man still occupying the kitchen.

Heaving a put upon sigh, Kasumi turned to Ranma, offering him a baleful look. The red faced boy blushed even brighter for a moment before reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. “We still need to decide on what to tell the family about Raven here. The panda is sure to question any family story we might try to pitch and Nabiki has a habit of poking holes in my stories. I’ve never been that good of a liar.”

Kasumi raised a hand to her lips to stifle a giggle at the poor boy’s expense. It just wouldn’t do to hurt Ranma’s confidence any more than necessary. She did have an idea on how to save the boy some trouble though. “What we need to do is deflect. We’ll keep them off balance with the news of the engagement and then keep their attention focused on Raven. He’ll talk about some of what he’d been up to over the past few years and we’ll weave together a story of correspondence via letters.”

Raven shook his head. “That would only last until they asked to see the letters. Even at my fastest, I wouldn’t be able to make up enough letters to convince them, not to mention making some of them appear older.”

Ranma chimed in. “Not to mention being able to convince Nabiki. She may be a mercenary but she always looks out for the family. I doubt she would just trust any story we make up. She’ll dig and dig and dig til she gets what she wants. I can keep my mouth shut like normal. They isn’t anything new, but you two will be in the spotlight.”

The eldest one of the bunch merely shrugged, a small smirk on his lips. “Let her dig. Even if she discovers the truth of who I am, what can she do with that information? There is nothing she can threaten me with. The fiancees? I’m already engaged, not to mention years older than all of them. Telling Ryoga or Mousse? Also not issues. They’re more likely to come after you anyway.” He offered his younger counterpart a bigger smirk before continuing.

“The only thing we have to worry about is if they all decide to take things out on you, Ranma. You’re not up to taking them all on right now. Fortunately, I’ll be around to keep an eye on things. I’ve got a tent pitched in a hidden area of the park. I’ve got some things to figure out before I can find somewhere a bit more permanent.” Raven turned to his fiancée to give her a meaningful look before adding, “I’m hoping I will find somewhere that I can share with you soon.”

The blush that adorned the Tendo matriarch’s cheeks threatened to light up the room, as did the giddy joy that bubbled within her. Living together with her fiancé. The man who would one day become her husband. Her.

In spite of the oblivious outlook she presented to the world, Kasumi was far from ignorant of the comments that passed around the market. She heard what others said of her, how they called her the Unwed Wife, the Ever Happy Homemaker. They thought she would be stuck in that house taking care of the family for the rest of her life, though they were far too polite to ever say it to her face.

Shaking away those thoughts, Kasumi focused on the here and now. “Well… it’s not something we have to worry about for a couple of hours now. Ranma dear, why don’t you go get some practice in, since it would be pointless to return to school right now. I have a new fiancé to learn about.”

Ranma grinned and turned to head outside. “Yes ma’am!”

***

Kasumi sat on the back porch sipping her tea, watching the koi swim in slow circles in the pond. What stories would those koi share, given the chance? Tales of invasions, of strange beings making a muck of their world? Would those tales be any different than the ones she had just heard from Raven. She had thought his life here an adventure but that other world... gone were the conveniences of the modern world that were normally taken for granted.

When she thought about it, that world was really the world Ranma had been brought up to survive in. Life here in Nerima had softened him up somewhat. He had a warm, somewhat safe place to sleep every night. Hot food multiple times a day. Sure, there were the rivals that said they were out to kill him, but with the exception of Mousse, they really weren’t that close to successful.

Saffron was the rule breaker. The one that exposed Ranma to the harsh realities of being a warrior rather than a martial artist. Saffron had forced him to kill. Saffron had forced him to face the reality that not everything could be solved by just pummeling the problem into the ground. Saffron had given him the mindset that allowed him to survive in a world where people would gladly slit a throat for the tiny bit of coin they might find on the body.

She shuddered at the thought of the world, even while she was thankful for what it was giving back to her. Something she’d never known she needed or wanted. A bright hope for the future.

The sound of doors sliding open caught her attention and Kasumi turned to watch Ranma exiting the dojo. Sweat glistened on the boy’s brow and mostly exposed chest. She could admit that the boy was attractive and could understand why so many of the girls were fighting over him. Even more importantly, she could see the man that he would one day become. Ranma still had many things he needed to work on, but there was definite steel within that boy, just waiting to complete the journey through the forge.

Sighing softly, Kasumi looked back towards the empty house. Raven had left merely half an hour ago and already the house seemed colder with him gone. He told her he was planning on returning for dinner and she understood that it would be better were he not home when her sisters arrived. Still, she found herself longing for the gentle tunes of the flute, or the whispering melodies from the violin that had first caught her attention. She still hadn’t weedled out of him the story behind either instrument. Convincing him to give up that information was something she was looking forward to.

Waving Ranma over, Kasumi explained where Raven had gone to before shooing the boy towards the bathroom to get cleaned up. The last thing he needed was another bathroom incident with Akane.

With one final glance around the yard, Kasumi smiled, then finished her tea. Things were going to change tonight. It was time to set the stage.

***

The table had been set. The meal set out. The family gathered. Yet no one was allowed to eat yet. Kasumi suppressed a smile as everyone kept shooting her glances, save for the resident gender changing martial artist. Each person at the table had a different manner of expressing their impatient. Father was puffing away at his cigarette, hiding behind his paper while trying to pretend he wasn’t staring at his eldest child. Mr. Saotome kept glancing from his plate to the serving platters then back to his plate, the internal struggle not to offend her by serving himself warring with his every hungry stomach. Nabiki had that puzzled, calculating look that she normally reserved for her clients who were looking for information. Akane… was staring at Ranma, as if blaming him for the delay in dinner.

After a few more moments of waiting, Soun took his pipe out of his mouth and cleared his throat. “Not to be indelicate, Kasumi dear, but what exactly are we waiting for?”

Kasumi offered her father a bright smile before pointing towards the extra place setting that had been placed besides her, between her and Ranma. “Shouldn’t it be obvious, Father? We’re waiting for our guest to arrive.”

Soun merely nodded at his daughter. “Right, right. Of course.” He went back to his paper for a moment. He had just put the cigarette back in his mouth when a knock sounded at the door. The man looked expectantly at his eldest, hoping for some sign of who it could be. The smile he saw on her face seemed to take him back and he could only stare as he watched her leave the room to answer the door.

With a happy squeal, Kasumi opened the door and flung herself into the arms of her fiancé. Raven was still dressed in the same leather outfit he had been wearing earlier, although it appeared he had taken the time to work out any stains and redo his hair into the ponytail that was now pulled over his shoulder to pour down his chest.

Looking up her fiancé through her lashes, she offered him a slight frown. “You’re late. You were supposed to be here almost ten minutes ago.”

Raven smiled softly and tilted his head down to kiss Kasumi’s forehead. “Sorry, dear. I spent a little time getting myself properly presentable, as well as getting you these.”

Kasumi watched as Raven pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind his back and presented them to her with a flourish. Another delighted squeal escaped the merry homemaker. When was the last time she’d received flowers from anyone? Other than those few times from the people at the market.

Cradling the flowers in her arms, Kasumi led her man into the house and towards the dinner table. She pretended to ignore the expectant looks on everyone’s faces or the way they tried, and failed, to hide their curiosity. Instead, she guided Raven to his place beside her then sat down to begin serving dinner.

Several people missed the food being put on their plates, except for Ranma who excitedly dug into the food. And of course, Genma, who would never let anything stop him from getting his food. Except Kasumi. She ruled the house and the kitchen.

Nabiki was the one to finally break the silence. Kasumi had been betting on that.

“So, sis. You going to introduce us to your friend there?”

Kasumi paused from where she as serving herself dinner to consider her middle sister. There were a few ways she could answer this, but she’d already decided on the perfect way.

“Of course, Nabiki dear. This is Raven. A dear friend.” Kasumi paused a moment before leaning over and cupping Raven’s chin. “My fiancé”.

She finally got her kiss.


End file.
